Newby Jasmine Blossom Caddy

Last week the results of the “Great Taste Awards 2010” were announced and we are delighted say that Newby Teas gained 13 Awards.

The Great Taste Awards is completely independent and the judging by industry experts is uncompromisingly  rigorous. Stars are given to products for their excellence and are generally thought of as the food and drink equivalent of the “Oscars”.

A coveted 3 Star Award was given to Newbys superb Imperial Jasmine (caddy).

2 Star Winners are Jasmine Blossom (teabags), Jasmine Monkey (windows carton), and Green Sanguinello (catering pouch). Other Star Award Winners include: Fujian Oolong (window caddy), White Peony (window carton), English Breakfast (caddy), Kaziranga (caddy), Gir (caddy), Hakunda (caddy), Kailash (caddy), Indian Breakfast (carton) and Rosehip and Hibiscus (teabags) which is very popular in our Service en Chambre Hotel bedroom beverage package.

Browse our website for more information on any of the teas, or go to www.newbyteas.com

The Franke Pura is perfectly suited to hotel and restaurant applications and is a very welcome addition to our range of coffee equipment. .…… Watch this space.…..

Fairtrad Logo

22nd February — 7th March 2010

Going green and being sustainable doesn’t have to cost your business, Café du Monde is here to help. To celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight and the Fairtrade Foundations 15th year Café du Monde are offering a free 4 cup cafetiere worth £29.95 with every two cases of Fairtrade “singles” purchased at £50.50 per case, post and packing included or half a case of Fairtrade Beans worth £23 with every two cases of Fairtrade Beans at £46 per case. To apply for the free offer just order during Fairtrade Fortnight between 22nd of February – 7th March 2010.

Since the introduction of Fairtrade certified coffee annual UK sales have rocketed from £13.7 million in 1998 to £137.3 million in 2008. The foundation’s latest survey shows that 70% of the UK’s population recognise the Fairtrade Mark and also link the Mark to a better deal for producers in the developing world.

In February the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) is being launched. This is good news for the industry, because as well as giving advice to businesses who want to become greener, it will also be giving awards to proactive ‘green’ restaurants. Successful restaurants will be able to display an SRA audit sticker in their window, denoting a bronze, silver or gold award, which, it is hoped, will become as recognisable as those of Michelin. The awards will also put audited restaurants at a commercial advantage as in a recent SRA survey 70% of customers said they would be more likely to eat at a restaurant that took environmental issues seriously.

Café du Monde not only offers a range of Fairtrade coffees, but also Rainforest Alliance (RFA). The RFA and its partner group the Sustainable Agriculture Network have demonstrated that traditional, forested coffee farms are havens for wildlife so by choosing Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee you can support farmers who maintain these rainforest refuges. The RFA have also worked for many years with farmers to seek a balance between traditional farming and new high production techniques. These forward thinking farmers, scientists, agronomists and environmentalists have developed farm-management guidelines that maintain eco-friendly traditions, add a growing awareness of social responsibility, and ensure economic sustainability.

RFA coffees available are Premier Cru espresso beans 6 x 1kilo, Pour and Serve filter coffee 80 x 1.9 litre sachets, Bulk Brew filter coffee 40 x 5 litre sachets and also for cafetieres bulk coffee in 4 x 1 kilo packs.

For further information on environmental and sustainable legislation that is expected this year click on the websites below.

Website links: www.fairtrade.org.uk, www.thesra.org, www.rainforest-alliance.org, www.cafedumonde.co.uk

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This year we have decided to donate the money we would usually spend on Christmas cards and postage to “Help for Heros”.  Following the appalling list of casualties sustained by our troops in Afghanistan, it would be difficult to think of a more deserving cause.

So from all of us at Café Du Monde we would like to wish all our customers and suppliers and very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

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On Friday 20^th November, 20 members of staff and their partners celebrated 20 years of Café du Monde.  The venue chosen for the festivities was the award winning South Lodge Hotel, Lower Beeding.  From the pre dinner drinks in the drawing room, where memories were shared and missing colleagues remembered the whole weekend was magical.

The evening’s entertainment was provided by “Encore” singing songs from all the popular musicals whilst we all enjoyed a splendid 3 course meal hosted by Catey award wining Erick Kervaon.  Not too many glasses of wine were consumed as the coach was leaving at 8 am the following morning for Goodwood motor circuit for a morning of competitive driving.

The agenda for the morning was fast and furious for in two and a half hours the five teams were timed as they skidded around a track, raced in the go karts and drove blindfolded in a mini moke around a slalom course.  Laughter rang around the circuit and usually at the expense of one of the team skidding off the track or crushing a cone.  A further surprise for the morning was a flight in a helicopter. There were a few nervous faces but everyone took part in all the activities and any nerves were quickly forgotten.

Lunch was provided back at South Lodge in the Pass Restaurant where a we were given a demonstration on how to prepare Game before a four course lunch which was prepared and served expertly before our very eyes.

The weekend finished with coffee and speeches where David and Mike reminisced over the past 20 years and thanked all colleagues, families and friends for there loyalty and support.  Tears and smiles all round!

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The 2009 Catey awards ceremony took place at the Grosvenor House Hotel on the 7th July.  Special congratulations go to South Lodge Hotel — Lower Bleeding, who won the Group Hotel of the Year Award and to Erick Kervaon from South Lodge, who won the Food and Beverage Manger of the Year Award.  Our congratulations also go to Café du Monde customers Red Carnation Hotels who’s Managing Director Jonathan Raggett won the Hotelier of the Year Award and to Simon Young of the Jumeirah Carlton Tower who won the Hotel chef of the Year Award.

www.caterersearch.com

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This year the Awards Gala was held on the 9th November at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel, Knightbridge, London.  As the nominated coffee and tea Partners to Johansens Recommended Hotels key members of Café du Monde presented three of the awards:- Most Excellent Dedicated Venue, to Scalford Hall by South East ~Account Executive — Tom Moitie.  Most Excellent City Hotel to The Old Bank Hotel by Director Mike Osborne and Condé Nast Johansens Reader’s Award to Bodysgallen Hall and Spa by South West Account Executive Caroline Anne Argrave.

Jo Willoughby

If you were passing through Harome on Friday 27^th November you would be forgiven for thinking you were in the Alps, as The Star turned in to Mount Harome for the night.  The team had created an amazing venue with ski equipment on tables and 40 tonnes of real snow shipped in for the event.

The evening started with a great interview where Jo Willoughby explained to the gathered crowd of 147 supporters how she felt confident that she would return from the Winter Olympics in Whistler with medals round her neck.  Most people have never heard of Jo Willoughby but she is the best hope Great Britain has ever had of collecting Alpine Gold Medals, you see Jo is a bit different paralysed from the chest down by a childhood illness, Jo has no sensation below neck and no movement below the chest.  Having had her left leg amputated in May she has only re-started her training in July after 4 months off the slopes through illness and injury.  Despite this she is the best female sitskier Great Britain has ever had.

Drummond and Val Murray represented Café du Monde at the event and Val was lucky enough to sit next to Jo and found her SO inspiring and such a lovely person.  She dismisses her disability completely and says she’s just like anyone else!!! — nothing could be further from the truth.

With Andrew Pern a Michelin starred chef cooking for you and such an inspirational sportswoman to raise money for it is not surprising that over £20,000 was collected and Jo has had part of her dream realised.  If you would like to support or follow Jo’s progress her web site is www.jowilloughby.com

The New La Spaziale S40

The new S40 range of traditional espresso machines was launched at the Hospitality Expo 2009, Milan, Italy in October.  The first machines arrived in the UK in November and include 2, 3 and 4 group machines in both semi-automatic and fully automatic versions.  The “flagship range which has variable group head temperature control and the option of an automatic frother will compete against the Gaggia “Deco”, Faema “Emblema” and the Brazillia “Opus Sublima”.

The King John Inn

Giles Coren was highly impressed. His Times review of the King John Inn at Tollard Royal on the Wiltshire/Dorset border described it as having “a lovely, light, unponcey sympathetic style” and “good, simple, modern home cooking”. Overall, he awarded the food eight out of ten – very impressive by his high standards.

Behind the recent refurbishment works and responsible for the cuisine are Alex Boon and his wife, Gretchen. Having had previous experience of the restaurant business, they left the industry for a short while to set up a wholesale wine business. Built in 1859 and named after one of King John’s hunting lodges, the Inn was almost derelict when they first saw it. Nine months later they opened with eight bedrooms. That was almost a year ago and the pair have not looked back. Gretchen has overseen the refurbishment with the help of local craftsmen like Francis Ruffle Designs. Five sumptuous bedrooms are in the main building. The remaining three are housed in the coach house, along with a wine shop. Here, Alex has put his past experience to good use and patrons may purchase wines they have seen on the wine list. In all, they stock 160 wines, largely from France with some New World bins and they are the import agent for several wine estates.

“We see ourselves as a hearty country pub serving good local food” says Alex. And it doesn’t get much more local than this. His butcher is Simon Harvell in Iwerne Minster, four miles away and venison comes from a mile distant. “In fact”, adds Alex, “there’s not much on the menu that has to travel more than five miles in any direction to reach us. You can’t get much fresher than that!” In the kitchen is a team of five chefs, busy preparing such mouthwatering dishes as Portland crab; partridge and wild mushroom terrine; twice baked Westcombe cheddar soufflé –and to finish — apple & fig crumble or banana and chocolate bread & butter pudding.

Alex and Gretchen had dealt with coffee supplier, Café du Monde before and appointed them again when they set up the King John. Naturally, they selected the free on loan cafetière system once more, but this time, to complement the unfussy bedroom décor, they added Café du Monde’s Service en Chambre bedroom beverage system.

“Our previous experience of Café du Monde left us well satisfied”, says Alex, “otherwise we would not have re-appointed them. It’s a big thumbs up for the coffee, but that tells only half a story. To that, add the excellence of their support service, with friendly staff demonstrating total commitment.”